Transportable rotary mixers

ABSTRACT

A transportable rotary mixer for pig-iron. A container has a shaft at each end, rotatably journaled in a rocker bearing mounted on a base supported on a movable carriage. At least one shaft has a driven gear wheel secured about it and a platform surrounding its base and resting on the outer surface thereof. The shaft has a central bore, out of which a pin axially extends, being journaled against rotation therewith but to accompany the pivotal movement thereof. Means are provided which fixedly connect the pin to the platform for joint movement. The platform mounts driving means for the driven gear.

United States Patent Berthold et a1. Aug. 5, 1975 [54] TRANSPORTABLE ROTARY MIXERS 2.2271915 H1941 Schaefer 308/22 2559100 7/1951 White 1 a v 1 4 1. 308/15 [75] Inventors: Roland Berthold; Adolf Brenner. 1910286 10/1959 Helm n V 259/81 R X both 0f Schwemfurt Germany 3.081702 3/1963 Mohr. Jr.. 1. 105/367 x Assigneaz SKF Industrial Trading and 3.2098150 10/1965 Fish 11 280/81 R X e e me Co B v Amsterdam v1307.4)(1 3/1967 Sweger 105/367 N th d 1 3,608,501 9/1971 Marxen 4. 105/367 x e er an s [22] Filed: June 7, 1973 Primary ExaminerHarvey C. Hornsby Assistant E.tanzi11er.lames A1 Niegowski 7, [211 App] No 36 805 Armrney, Agenr, 0r F1rn1-Murray Schaffer [30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT June 24 1972 Germany 2231051 1 A transportable rotary m1xer for pig-iron A contalner [52] U S Cl 259/89 105/27 308/5 has a shaft at each end, rotatably journaled in a rocker H 308/72 bearing mounted on a base supported on a movable [5]] Int Cl 822d 41/12 carriage At least one shaft has a driven gear wheel se- [58] Fieid 280/81 cured about it and a platform surrounding its base and 105/367 4 g 267 269 resting on the outer surface thereof The shaft has a i 5 5 5 central bore, out of which a pin axially extends, being journaled against rotation therewith but to accompany [56] References Cited the pivotal movement thereof. Means are provided which fixedly connect the pin to the platform for joint UNITED STATES PATENTS movement. The platform mounts driving means for 830,615 9/1906 Rankin 1. 259/81 R h d i gear 1115.213 4/1938 Randolph 1 105/270 2.151.391 3/1939 Pugh 105/270 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 15 if ii l6 1: El. 2 4 I. 5

but) but] PATENTEU AUS 5 m5 SHEET PATENTED AUG 5|B75 3 897, 936

TRANSPORTABLE ROTARY MIXERS BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The present invention relates to transportable rotary mixers particularly for pig-iron, hot metals and the like.

Conventional pig-iron mixers comprise large oval containers which are mounted on railroad or truck carriages such as bogies so that they may be moved over large distances. In general, the container has a shaft at each end. The shaft at one end is journaled in a rocker bearing fixed on one carriage while the shaft at the other end is supported by one or more plain cylindrical neck bearings mounted on an intermediate supporting bridge fixed to its carriage. The shaft at this latter end is provided with a gear wheel which is driven by motor means on the intermediate bridge. This arrangement provides a limited degree of pivoting or flexing movement about the axis of rotation so that the containers may more easily go up and down hills and around curves and corners without dislodging the carriages from their track. This arrangement, however, has the disadvantage that only one end is provided with a rocker bearing while the other end has only a very limited degree of flexure.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a mixer of the type described which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mixer of the type described which has shafts at each end each of which are supported by a rocker bearing having a wide degree of movement.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mixer of the type described wherein the degree of bearing may be adjustable.

These objects. together with numerous other objects and advantages are obtained in accordance with the present invention as will be seen from the following disclosure thereof.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION According to the present invention a transportable rotary mixer particularly for pig-iron and the like is provided having an elongated oval container having a shaft at each end rotatably journaled in a rocker bear ing mounted on a base supported on a movable carriage. At at least one end the shaft is provided with a driven gear wheel and a platform is provided surrounding the base and resting on the surface thereof. The shaft is provided with a central bore in which a pin axially extends outwardly. The pin is journaled against rotation with respect to the shaft but to accompany the pivotal movement of the shaft with respect to the axis of rotation. Means fixedly connect the pin to the platform for conjoint pivoting. Located on the platform are drive means by which the driven gear may be rotated. In this manner even the end which is provided with the motor means for rotating the container can also be provided with a rocker bearing which provides a high degree of flexure for the container. Further, the motor means are mounted on a platform which is connected to the shaft so that it would conjointly pivot with re spect to the axis of rotation. Further, the platform is supported by resting on the base in all of its positions.

With regard to the conventional design, the present invention eliminates the need for the cylindrical neck journals and the use of an intermediate bridge supporting the driven end of the container. Further, a pivot bearing generally used to support the intermediate bridge with respect to the main bridge or carriage is also eliminated. The driven side of the container is consequently constructed in a much more compact form through the rigid connection of the platform supporting the drive means with the pin extending from the shaft of the container. Since the platform thus moves conjointly with the container a more exact engagement of the driven gear wheel with the means for driving the container is insured. Another advantage arises from this construction in that since the intermediate bridge is eliminated, the center of gravity of the container can thus be lowered so that the behavioral characteristics of the mixer carriages, sometimes termed in their entirety as a "torpedo trolley" is enormously improved.

ln accordance with the present invention, it is further advantageous to provide the supporting platform for the drive means in the shape of a fork or U-shaped member which surrounds the base and has the edges of its recess or bight resting on the outer surface of the base. Through this forked shaped platform reliable sup port is obtained at all attitudes and positions. It is furthermore advantageous to provide the edges of the platform which engage with the surface of the base with wear plates which are adjustable by means of mechanical or hydraulic devices to resiliently bear against the surface of the base. In this manner the degree of torque or turning moment which might otherwise attempt to rotate the driving platform in the opposite direction to that of the container, can be overcome. This arrangement of fork-shaped platform and adjustable wear plates assures that the platform can perform all of the tilting and skewing movements in relation to the base, initiated by the movement of the shaft in the rocker hearing, when the mixer travels up and down hill and around curves. The torque of the driven drum is transmitted reliably to the base and thus the supporting carriage rather than to any of the operating means.

Full details of the present invention are set forth in the following description and are shown in the accom panying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. I is a side view of a torpedo trolley showing a pig-iron mixture mounted on a plurality of railway bogies,

FIG. 2 is a section through a vertical plane showing the driven end of the pigiron container in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the end of the mixer shown in FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the device shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 depicting the mechanical means for adjusting the position of the wear plates, and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION A pig-iron mixer, generally depicted by the numeral 1, bearing a resemblance to the conventional torpedo trolley arrangement for operation on a railroad is schematically shown. The mixer l is supported at each end on a pair of railroad bogies 2 by a supporting bridge 4 which is connected to the bogies by a plurality of pivotal bearings 3. Rigidly mounted on the bridge 4 is a vertically extending base 5 on which a large rocker bearing 6 is mounted in a housing 6a. The mixer com prises an oval container 7 having a shaft 8 extending from each end concentric with its axis of rotation X-X. Each of the opposing shafts 8 are journaled in its associated rocker bearing 6 for rotation about the axis X. At one end of the container 7 the shaft 8 is pro vided with a driven toothed gear wheel 9 which engages with a pinion 10. As seen in FIG. 3 the pinion 10 is driven through a reduction gear system ll consisting of a pair of bevel gear wheels 12 and 13 through a variable transmission 14 driven in turn by a motor 15. As seen further in FIG. 3 two motors 15 and associated driving components 10 through 14 may be provided. Each of the motors l5 and the driving components 10 through 14 are mounted on a platform 16. The platform 16 is generally U-shaped and straddles or surrounds the base 5 and rests upon its outer surface. The platform 16 is fixedly joined and connected by vertical strips or walls 17 and 18 to a pin 19. The pin 19 is mounted in a cen tral bore 20 formed along the axis of rotation the end of the shaft 8. The pin 19 is mounted in the bore 20 by a pair of spaced rocker bearings 21 and 22 so that it accompanies all of the pivoting movements of the shaft 8 but does not rotate with it about the axis of rotation X. Through the vertical strips or walls 17 and 18 which are fixedly joined to the pin 19, the platform 16 on which the drive mechanism 10 through 15 is mounted, accompanies all of the movements of the pivot pin [9 conjointly.

The U-shaped platform I6 has an opening or bight generally depicted by the numeral 23, as seen in FIG. 3. The U-shaped platform comprises a fork which surrounds the base 5 as seen in FIG. 3. The side edges 24 of the bight 23 touch the surface of the base 5 which at this point is formed with a smooth arcuate or circular casing so that a smooth point of contact between the linear edges 24 and the curved surface 25 can be obtained. At this point of contact the platform 16 is provided with a wear plate 26 which resiliently abuts against the casing 25 of the base 5. At this point of contact, the resiliently biased wear plate 26 acts to transfer to the base 5 the torque created by the rotating drum-like container 7 so that it does not act to rotate the platform 16 and thus the platform 16 will remain stable an 'l fixed with regard to the position of the container 7.

The resiliently biased wear plate 26 is adjustably mounted on the platform 16 by suitable hydraulic or mechanical means. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 the meehanical device for adjusting the position of the wear plate 26 comprises a hand wheel 28 mounted at the end of a spindle 29 which is threadedly secured in a bracket 29a mounted on the top surfasce of the platform 16. A wedge 30 is mounted at the end of the spindle 29 and has a bevelled edge 31 which engages a correspondingly bevelled edge of a piston'like member 32 which is mounted in a bore 320 extending perpendicularly to the wear plate 26. The piston member 32 acts on a compression spring 33 positioned between it and the wear plate 26. The spring 33 forces the wear plate 26 against the casing 25 of the base 5. Rotation of the handle 28 causes the spindle 29 to position the wedge 30 variably with the wedge piston member 32 so that the compression ratio of the spring 33 may be changed as desired, thus changing the resilient bias of the wear plate 23 against the surface 25.

In operation the present apparatus is similar to that of the conventional torpedo trolley in that during movement over the railroad the drum-like container 7 may be rotated about its axis 8 by operation of the drive means 10 through 15. As the railroad goes around curves the shaft 8 at the end of each container, and the platform 16 which is conjointly fixed to it through the extending pin 19 is adapted to rotate about a vertical axis Y. As the apparatus moves up and down hills, the shaft 8 and its conjointly fixed platform 16 rotate about an axis 34 which is at right angles to the plane of the drawing of FIG. 2 and which assumes a 2" axis with respect to the X and Y axes. Upon the up and down movement about the axis 34, the wear plates 26 move correspondingly upwards and downwards over the surface of the casing 25 of the base 5 as shown by the arrows in FIGv 4. On turning the curves, the wear plates 26 move along the spherically curved outline of the casing 25 as seen in FIGS, 3 and 5. In every case, however, a reliable support and transmission of the torque is insured via the wear plates 26 and the casing 25 to the base 5.

Preferably, the casing 25 and the wear plate 26 are made of smooth hard metallic material having a low coefficient of friction.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that the objects and advantages of the present invention as enumerated earlier in this disclosure have been fully and simply obtained. It will also be obvious that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the present disclosure be taken as illustrative only and not limiting of the scope of the invention.

What is claimed:

1. A transportable rotary mixer particularly for pigiron and the like comprising a container having a shaft at each end, each shaft being rotably journaled in a rocker bearing pivotally mounted on a base supported on a movable carriage, at least one end having a driven gear wheel secured to its shaft for driving said container, a platform straddling said base substantially parallel to the side walls of said base, and slidably resting on the surface of said side walls, said shaft at said one end of said container having a central bore, a pin axially extending outwardly of said bore being journaled against rotation therewith and to accompany the piv otal movement thereof with respect to said bore, means fixedly connecting said pin to said platform for conjoint movement of said pin and platform, and relative movement of said pin with respect to said base, and means mounted on said platform for driving said driven gear.

2. The mixer according to claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises at least one motor, a driving gear cooperating with said driven gear, and transmission means connecting said motor and said driven gear.

3. The mixer according to claim 1 wherein said means for journaling said pin and said shaft comprises a pair of spaced rocker bearings.

4. The mixer according to claim 1 wherein the surfaces of said base adjacent said platform is arcuate and said platform has wear plates resiliently engaging said arcuate surface.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 including means for adjusting the bias of said wear plates on said arcuate surface. 

1. A transportable rotary mixer particularly for pig-iron and the like comprising a container having a shaft at each end, each shaft being rotably journaled in a rocker bearing pivotally mounted on a base supported on a movable carriage, at least one end having a driven gear wheel secured to its shaft for driving said container, a platform straddling said base substantially parallel to the side walls of said base, and slidably resting on the surface of said side walls, said shaft at said one end of said container having a central bore, a pin axially extending outwardly of said bore being journaled against rotation therewith and to accompany the pivotal movement thereof with respect to said bore, means fixedly connecting said pin to said platform for conjoint movement of said pin and platform, and relative movement of said pin with respect to said base, and means mounted on said platform for driving said driven gear.
 2. The mixer according to claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises at least one motor, a driving gear cooperating with said driven gear, and transmission means connecting said motor and said driven gear.
 3. The mixer according to claim 1 wherein said means for journaling said pin and said shaft comprises a pair of spaced rocker bearings.
 4. The mixer according to claim 1 wherein the surfaces of said base adjacent said platform is arcuate and said platform has wear plates resiliently engaging said arcuate surface.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 4 including means for adjusting the bias of said wear plates on said arcuate surface. 